Hyatt to develop a Hyatt Centric hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Hyatt to develop a Hyatt Centric hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Slated to open in 2021, the Kengo Kuma-designed hotel in Kota Kinabalu will be the first Hyatt Centric branded hotel in Malaysia

CHICAGO, IL, 2019-May-07 — /Travel PR News/ — Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today (May 5, 2019) that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad group (“Hap Seng”) to develop a Hyatt Centric hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Expected to open in 2021, Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu will be the first Hyatt Centric hotel in Malaysia and will connect savvy, in-the-now guests with shareworthy experiences at and around the property.

Situated in the heart of the city, the hotel will offer convenient access to the commercial district, shopping malls, restaurants and other local attractions. The Jesselton Point pier is also within walking distance, allowing guests to easily visit nearby islands, while the airport is a little more than six miles (ten kilometers) away.

“We are grateful for the collaboration from Hap Seng, one of the most esteemed companies in Malaysia,” said David Udell, group president, Asia-Pacific, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “With its prime location in Malaysia’s gateway city to Sabah and Borneo, Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu will cater to adventurous guests looking to discover the area’s culture, cuisine and surrounding national parks.”

With the Hyatt Centric brand’s light-hearted spirit in mind, Kengo Kuma has been commissioned as the architect and interior designer for Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu. Taking inspiration from the lush green hills and blue ocean surrounding the hotel, the award-winning designer will incorporate local materials into the design. The hotel will also feature an all-day lounge and restaurant, more than 1900 square feet (600 square meters) of meeting space, a rooftop swimming pool and bar with views of the South China Sea, and a fitness center.

“We are thrilled to announce plans to introduce the Hyatt Centric brand to one of Malaysia’s key destinations,” said Patrick Finn, senior vice president – real estate & development, Asia-Pacific, Hyatt. “We are focused on strategically growing our brand presence in Malaysia and the introduction of our second Hyatt hotel in Sabah will enable us to provide more diverse experiences for guests.”

Dato’ Jorgen Bornhoft, chairman of Hap Seng said, “We’re honoured to announce plans to fly the first Hyatt Centric flag in Malaysia, and more importantly, the very first hotel by the Hap Seng group. Leaving no stone unturned, we have decided to engage the world-renowned Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma to design the hotel. We hope this speaks to Hap Seng’s commitment to bring a best-in-class experience to Sabah while creating job opportunities and driving tourism.”

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

About Hyatt Centric

Hyatt Centric is a brand of full-service lifestyle hotels located in prime destinations. Created to connect guests to the heart of the action, Hyatt Centric hotels are thoughtfully designed to enable exploration and discovery so they never miss a moment of adventure. Each hotel offers social spaces to connect with others in the lobby, meanwhile the bar and restaurant are local hot spots where great conversations, locally inspired food and signature cocktails can be enjoyed. Streamlined modern rooms focus on delivering everything guests want and nothing they don’t. A passionately engaged team is there to provide local expertise on the best food, nightlife and activities the destination has to offer. For more information please visit hyattcentric.com. Follow @HyattCentric on Facebook and Instagram, and tag photos with #HyattCentric.

About Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad

Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad (“Hap Seng”) is a public company listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad. In 2016, Hap Seng was added to the FBM KLCI main index which tracks the performance of the top 30 listed companies in Malaysia by market capitalization. Comprising six core business activities, namely plantations, property investment & development, credit financing, automotive, trading and building materials, Hap Seng group is progressive and forward-looking. Underpinned by emphasis on value creation, operational excellence and sustainability, Hap Seng has consistently delivered value to its stakeholders.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 19 premier brands. As of December 31, 2018, the Company’s portfolio included more than 850 properties in 60 countries across six continents. The Company’s purpose to care for people so they can be their best informs its business decisions and growth strategy and is intended to attract and retain top colleagues, build relationships with guests and create value for shareholders. The Company’s subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences, vacation ownership properties, and fitness and spa locations, including under the Park Hyatt®, Miraval®, Grand Hyatt®, Alila®, Andaz®, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®, Destination®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Ziva™, Hyatt Zilara™, Thompson Hotels®, Hyatt Centric®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Place®, Joie de Vivre®, tommie™, Hyatt Residence Club® and Exhale® brand names, and operates the World of Hyatt® loyalty program that provides distinct benefits and exclusive experiences to its valued members. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the rate and the pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; levels of spending in business and leisure segments as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; the seasonal and cyclical nature of the real estate and hospitality businesses; changes in distribution arrangements, such as through internet travel intermediaries; changes in the tastes and preferences of our customers; the financial condition of, and our relationships with, third-party property owners, franchisees, and hospitality venture partners; the possible inability of third-party owners, franchisees, or development partners to access capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; risks associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and the introduction of new brand concepts; the timing of acquisitions and dispositions, and our ability to successfully integrate completed acquisitions with existing operations; our ability to successfully execute on our strategy to expand our management and franchising business while at the same time reducing our real estate asset base within targeted timeframes and at expected values; changes in the competitive environment in our industry, including as a result of industry consolidation, and the markets where we operate; our ability to successfully grow the World of Hyatt loyalty program; cyber incidents and information technology failures; and other risks discussed in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, which filings are available from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of our forward-looking statements.  We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Angelina Hue
Hyatt – Asia Pacific
+852 2678 1323
Angelina.Hue@hyatt.com

Gloria Kennett
Hyatt
312-750-5506
Gloria.Kennett@hyatt.com

Source: Hyatt Hotels Corporation

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